COLUMBUS - Coming off the holiday break, the Columbus State University men's basketball team will host Francis Marion on Saturday, Jan. 4. The Peach Belt Conference game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center.
It's been two full weeks since the Cougars last saw action when they took on Lander on Dec. 21. CSU fell 89-75 to the Bearcats after failing to stop Lander's hot 3-point shooting.
The Cougars (5-5, 0-2 PBC) will be looking to rebound from a tough start to begin PBC play. CSU is currently 0-2 in the league also taking a loss on the road against USC Aiken on Dec. 18.
"This is an important game for us," commented head coach
Robert Moore. "We can't afford to drop three straight games to begin our conference schedule, so the urgency level is high."
"Francis Marion plays at a fast pace and wants to turn the game into a shootout. Our defense is going to have to be up to the challenge and not allow their shooters to get any space."
| CSU |
Stats |
FMU |
| 5-5, 0-2 |
Record |
3-6, 2-0 |
| 76.2 |
PPG |
83.4 |
| 75.4 |
Opp. PPG |
88.1 |
| 45.0% |
FG% |
42.4% |
| 47.7% |
Opp. FG% |
49.6% |
| 34.8 |
Rebs/Game |
36.9 |
| 31.9% |
3PT FG% |
35.0% |
| 37.1% |
Opp. 3PT FG% |
40.1% |
| 62.9% |
FT% |
76.1% |
| 13.3 |
Assists/Game |
15.6 |
| 10.3 |
Steals/Game |
8.8 |
| 1.7 |
Blocks/Game |
2.3 |
Game 11
Opponent: Francis Marion University
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Site: Lumpkin Center (4,500), Columbus, Ga.
Radio: NewsRadio 540 WDAK - Scott Miller, play-by-play. Mike Sanda, color.
Live Video Stream: Cougar Sports TV
All-time Series: CSU leads 28-18
Last Meeting: Jan. 21, 2019, in Florence, S.C. (FMU 76-60)
About Francis Marion
The Patriots (3-6, 2-0) got back on the court early taking on Fayetteville State on Thursday and show some rust falling 88-78 to continuing their road troubles this season. FMU has failed to win a game away from Florence going winless in three road games and a neutral site contest. However, FMU grabbed PBC victories at home before the holidays over North Georgia (87-85) and Young Harris (117-111).
The league's leading scorer Winston Hill (20.6 PPG) leads a quartet of double-digit scorers into Columbus for the Patriots. Hill has seven 20-point games this season, including four in a row. He is also third in the PBC in rebounding (9.2 rebs/game). Kendall Wall (12.0 PPG, 8.2 rebs/game) is another threat to score in the paint.
A key to Francis Marion's offense is their defense. The Patriots force over 17 turnovers per game helping to lead to the third best PBC scoring average (83.4 PPG). Also contributing to that total is their free throw shooting. FMU leads the league with a 76.1 percent mark from the line.
Cougar Notes
• After securing three straight wins in early December, the Cougars are looking to snap a three-game losing streak on Saturday.
• Columbus State's record hasn't been below .500 this season.
• The Cougars have a -9.3 rebounding margin in their three-game losing streak. CSU has lost the battle on the glass by at least 12 rebounds over the past two games.
• Columbus State is 1-4 in games when getting outrebounded.
• At the Division II level, the Cougars rank 12th in steals per game (10.3), 21st in turnovers forced per game (17.7), 23rd in turnover margin (4.4), and 24th in offensive rebounds per game (13.6).
• The Cougars have only shot over 35 percent from three on three occasions this season. Ironically, CSU is 1-2 in those games.
• Bryant Givens is still inside the top-25 in steals per game averaging 2.6. The senior ranks 17th in the nation in the category.
• Givens has also experienced a scoring resurgence for the Cougars recently. The guard has scored over 20 points in each of the last two games, including going 9-for-14 (64.3 percent) on his 3-point attempts.
• Despite scoring only six points in his last two outings, Landrius Horton is seventh in the PBC in scoring (16.3 PPG).
Series History
• It will be the 47th all-time meeting between Columbus State and Francis Marion on Saturday. The rivalry began with the inception of the Peach Belt Conference in the 1990-91 season.
• Columbus State holds a 28-18 advantage against the Patriots. However, FMU swept the season series a season ago, including recording a 90-85 win in Columbus.
• In the past five games, FMU is 4-1 against the Cougars. CSU's only win during the stretch came inside the Lumpkin Center on Jan. 15, 2018.
• Under head coach Robert Moore, the Cougars have posted a 7-5 record versus the Patriots.
Up Next
The PBC schedule is in full swing in the new year as the Cougars stay busy over the next two months. On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Columbus State will take on long-time rivals Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
